Dust currently counts as one of the main causes for air pollution and substantially contributes to environmental pollution. It has been shown that dust promotes or even causes numerous diseases. These include, in particular, allergies, respiratory diseases and cancer, in particular lung cancer. The extent of the effect of dust particles on the airways depends on the size of the dust particles in addition to their chemical composition. The possible penetration depth into the airways increases as the dust particles becomes smaller. Dust particles with a diameter of less than 10 μm are referred to as particulate matter. These particles are particularly worrisome from a health point of view since the filter effect of the nasal cavity and pharynx is insufficient for these and they therefore are able to reach the lung virtually unimpeded.
The detection of particulate matter requires increasing outlay, the smaller the diameters are. However, in order to better estimate the health risks caused by particulate matter, apparatuses, and methods for operating these apparatuses, which facilitate a simple and flexible detection of these particles are required.